


The King's Wager

by Sagoberattare



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis & Loki Friendship, Frank will eat just about anything, Frigga needs a drink, Gen, Protective Loki, adorable Juton Helblindi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 21:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4153848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sagoberattare/pseuds/Sagoberattare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is said that the slightest difference can make the greatest changes.<br/>In one world, Darcy was too preoccupied with what she had heard to do anything but leave to inform her closest friend of the events.<br/>In another Darcy had done nearly the same thing, but not before she snagged a book upon fleeing the Allfather's study. </p>
<p>--</p>
<p>This is a fanfiction based on "There's a God under my Bed", written by the amazing Q_it, who I suggest you go visit before reading. Takes place after chapter twenty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The King's Wager

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Q_it](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Q_it/gifts).
  * Inspired by [There's a God Under My Bed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3154949) by [Q_it](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Q_it/pseuds/Q_it). 



> This is a work of fiction inspired by another work of fiction. To understand this story, please go read "There's a God under my Bed", written by the amazing Q_it before this.
> 
> be gentle, I'm still trying to figure out the site.

It is said that the slightest difference can make the greatest changes.

In this case, it happened when a young mortal had been listening to Queen Frigga and Lord Bjarte and finding out about the war that would come.

In one world, Darcy was too preoccupied with what she had heard to do anything but leave to inform her closest friend of the events.

In another Darcy had done nearly the same thing, but not before she snagged a book upon fleeing the Allfather's study.

She hadn't known that it was the King's old journal from way back when he had been waging war on the Jotuns. Loki had figured that out, and the two of them had poured over the book in addition to the map.

 But it had been Loki who had found the old segment about the Jotun game of Chaturanga, and how Odin had sought to win the King's Wager against Laufey before all out war broke between the Realms.

Neither of them knew what Chaturanga was, so Loki did some research on it, coming up with interesting results. Apparently it was a board game that held magical properties for high staked games between the nobility and royalty.

 Loki theorized that to win a King's Wager was to win certain control over key places, or simply having whatever you wanted given with minimal blockage. At least that was how he hypothesized it, from what he had read and what Odin had betted in his journal.

 Several weeks passed, filled with the duo getting as prepared as possible for the trip to Jotunheim. They didn't want another incident like Muspelheim, thank you very much.

 After locating the passage, the duo plus pets enter through to their next exploration.

 Right into a frozen wasteland that even the White Witch would have found too cold.

 Darcy kept checking on Loki, looking for signs of sudden sickness. He was doing fine, in fact, Darcy was almost positive that he wasn't reacting to the cold at all.

 Lucky him. She was freezing.

 They had barely gotten more then twenty meters from the passage when this huge behemoth/cat/critter came out of no where and attacked.

 Naturally, she and Loki ran like their lives depended on it.

 This lead to them quite literally running into a Jotun that had been camping in the area.

 At first there was confusion, shock, then an attempt to threaten them, until the Jotun saw the huge scary animal barreling after them. In a moment of perfect synchrony, the trio and pets turn and bolted over the hill.

The animal was nearly upon them when out of no where a patrol of fifteen Jotuns appeared, weapons drawn and charging the creature with a terrifying amount of glee. It made Darcy wonder if the Juton's haunted that behemoth of a creature for fun.

After fighting off the creature, they were hauled to the king.

King Laufey was even bigger then the other frost giants, making her feel like an ant, and he had a glower that could have burn Muspelheim. King Laufey demanded that they explained themselves, all awhile looking like he was contemplating the best way to kill them slowly.

Loki tried for diplomacy, stating they had not meant any harm, but Laufey seemed really determined to have them executed, and found their "spying" to be a perfectly justifiable reason as well as getting the Juton they ran into almost killed.

It was when the King stated that he would relish the torment Odin would feel at receiving his son's dismembered body that Darcy, in a moment of inspiration brought on by her desire to protect Loki at all cost, and challenged Laufey to the King's Wager.

The frost giant stared at her as though he was surprised she was sentient and capable of speech. The King then ordered Loki and the pets sent to the dungeons while they worked out the details.

As they took her best friend away, she had flashed Loki a smile that was more confident then she felt.

The King asked who she was to make such a challenge. She answered truthfully; though she had embellished it with saying she was the future President of the United States.

When she got a blank look, Darcy explained that a president was a king like ruler. She would have gone into detail, but she had a giant to convince to playing a wager that she needed to win and thought she could be forgiven for giving a rather simplistic and somewhat erroneous answer.

King Laufey looked amused at the thought of humans having an actual kingdom, as though he hadn't thought it possible. Darcy was fairly insulted, but showed restraint for Loki's sake.

To her surprise, Laufey demanded to know what she was staking.  Thinking quickly Darcy answered that should he win she was willing to show them the passage way to Midgard. He demanded the passage to Asgard, to which she countered that if he swore to release Loki whether she won or not, she'd give him the location to the passage as well, glad Loki wasn’t there to hear her gambling with the safety of Asgard.

Normally Darcy would never make such a bet. But she theorized that the Asgard location made it nearly impossible to move large people (say, giants for example), and even should they make it through, Heimdall should see them plenty in advance to get the Allfather and whatever warriors necessary to defend the realm. Even the Midgard passage was futile, seeing how navigating through New York would have every kind of government on them in an instant, so Darcy felt secure that Midgard and Asgard were safe.

Now she just had to keep Loki safe. If he had been present, Loki would probably say that the Realm was more important them him, but she disagreed.  He was much more important to her.

Darcy went on, stating should she win, he was to let them go back, not go to war with Asgard and not hold a grudge against her or Loki.

She felt a sense of déjà vu. Hadn't she pretty much made a similar deal with King Surtur?

She then demanded to know what Laufey would be staking. If she was going to be gambling something, then the King of Smurfdom was going to as well. The giant gave her a critical look, stating that he'd be placing his title and place.

Darcy didn't get to ask what that meant before Loki and the pets got dragged off to who knows where and she herself taken to a massive room.

Leading to her current state.

 

* * *

 

 

A shiver ran down her body, the blistering cold seeping deeper. Despite being inside a building and heavily bundled up, Darcy could barely feel her toes, and would not have been surprised if her face was as blue as the locals.

_I'll turn into a popsicle if this keeps up,_ Darcy thought, shivering.

What about Loki? Was he freezing too? While he looked fine when they got here, that was hours ago. He had been so sick on Muspelheim, what if he had a similar reaction to the sub freezing cold?

So lost in her worry for the prince, Darcy nearly ran into the giant before her. If Laufey noticed her near crash into his legs, he didn't show it.

"Welcome to Court, bug." The Jotun King presented, smirking when she scowled at the nickname he had given her.

The walls looked like ivory, with intricate designs carved within. The ceiling seemed to go on and on, crystal like glimmers branched across it. Yet the room had a sort of weathered look to it, not the pristine of Asgard. She could see cracks that almost blended in with the carvings.

The room was also massive, filled with people. Various sizes and shades of blue were all around.

_The Jotun nobility?_ Darcy wondered trying not to shiver in front of them. For blood thirsty giants, they weren't very scary.

Especially the ones that were looking at her like she was the cutest doll they have ever seen, and wanted nothing more then to dress her up and put her on a mantle. Okay, those guys were a little creepy, but she rather they view her as a doll then a threat at the moment.

Near the throne stood two Jotuns. They were both much shorter then the other Jotuns present and appeared…younger. Much younger then the others present. Jotun children? The shorter of the two was glaring at her. He had thick black hair and a lithe frame. Why did the this Jotun look familiar?

 It took her a second to realize why the he was glaring at her. It was the same Jotun Loki and her ran into when they were fleeing the over grown ice kitty. He didn't look very friendly (though that may because they nearly got him killed), giving her an aloof sneer as though he had smelled something foul.

_Great,_ thought Darcy. _We endangered a Juton child. A noble Juton child._ No wonder Laufey and the guys that dragged them in looked so ticked off.

The other Jotun had no hair and was taller and bulkier yet he appeared to be younger if the baby fat was anything to go by. He was looking at her like she was a curiosity, while simultaneously wanting to pick her up like a she was a toddler and cuddle her. It was kind of weird.

Her attention was quickly directed to a truly massive board. Checkered in two tinted ices, and standing on either side were pieces of ice that were bigger then her.

"I believe you Migardians created something similar to Chaturanga?" Laufey stated more then asked, settling into his throne like a huge blue cat.

Darcy stared at the masses board, wondering if perhaps the Jotuns had once been on Midgard and played this game. It looked almost exactly like chess.

"It…may not contain the same rules. Can you give me a quick lesson on the game?" Darcy asked politely. Humans may have something similar but that didn't mean they had the same.

Laufey looked to consider it before he shrugged, waving forth a Juton and instructing him to take the next thirty minutes to explain the rules and pieces to her.

In the end, it really was almost exactly like chess.

The key differences were the names. Queens were called generals, knights were assassins, bishops called sorcerers and rooks were castles. Kings were still kings. The lines were known as fields, and each square a number.

But instead of moving the piece, you called out the piece to the position and it moved itself to the spot. It would also kill your pieces in an exploding manner.

_In short, the Jotuns have a Harry Potter chess game set._ Darcy thought, glad she didn't have to play as one of the pieces.

She shivered, the cold biting her lungs with every breath she took. The air hurt to breathe, and her limbs ache at the movement.

"Do you plan to play, or have you accepted death?" Laufey asked, looking utterly bored.

The image of Loki, trapped in a dungeon, quiet possibly freezing to death with Frank and Fenrir flashed through Darcy's mind.

No. she wouldn't let her friend die. Not on Muspelheim, not on Nornheim, not anywhere.

The girl straightened herself, staring the giant in the eyes as she seated herself on the stone stool that had been presented.  She mentally braced herself, recalling the names and movements. Then she made her move.

"King's grunt to fifth field, four."

She would beat this over grown blueberry.

The room went silent at this, Laufey looking surprised before giving a look of…approval?

"Well, you are determined. But do you really know what's at stake, little girl?"

Darcy smirked, pulling her winter jacket closer. "What? Afraid that a teeny tiny human girl like me will totally beat your butt, you're Smurfiness?"

Laufey scoffed, but looked entertained. "Smug little insect. Alight. Grunt to fifth field, five."

And with that the game began.

Frigga was coming very close to ordering Heimdall to open the Bifrost and charging in there to rescue the children herself, sending a message to Odin to not wait up.

Why, oh why did they have to find a way into Jotunheim of all places? Loki may physically be fine, but what if it is discovered that Loki isn't an Aesir but a Jotun? How would her son react to such news? She knew the answer, but didn't want to face it.

 And Darcy! The girl was freezing to death! The life was ebbing out of her as the cold seeped further in. She had maybe another hour, if that.

The only thing keeping her rooted there was the fact that Heimdall had informed her that Darcy was playing the King's Wager, with Loki's freedom as a condition whether she won or lost. And since King's Wagers were magical in nature, Laufey would be compelled to do it no matter what.

How did Darcy convince Laufey to play the King's Wager? You'd have to be royalty to make that challenge!

And Laufey would not be an easy opponent. Odin had played a few times against Laufey, back before all out war broke between the two Realms. Odin never won.

It had amused her to know that while Odin was a brilliant military leader with an impressive victory count, he was just awful at board games. Thor came by that honestly.

Seeing the queen's questioning look, Heimdall explained. "It would seem that, despite her often crass way of speaking, Lady Darcy is very apt at persuasion. While she could never hope to beat him in combat, she played it so she could fight her opponent in a battle of wit and scheme. Though, I do not know if she'll succeed. Her opponent is after all, centuries ahead of her in warfare and tactics."

"Heimdall, Darcy is just a mortal! An Aesir has difficulties staying on Jotunheim. She is going to freeze to death before the game is over!"

"Lady Darcy may be the only one who can get Prince Loki out of there. I cannot see him."

Frigga stared at him in dread. "You cannot see him?"

"The Jotuns have deployed a barrier. While he is behind that barrier, I cannot see nor hear him. The nature of this barrier was design to shield me from seeing. Even if we enter, I may still not find him. Nor would anyone looking for him. We'd walk right past him even if he was screaming and thrashing to get our attention."

"So our best bet is to place our trust into Darcy?"

"It would seem so."

"…half an hour. If she hasn't won then, we send for the Allfather."  Frigga said grimly. Hadn't she said something similar when they had gone to Muspelheim? She did not like this dreary familiarity the two children seemed to place her in.

 

* * *

 

 

Back in the Court room, the Juton's watched on as their sovereign played against the doll sized girl.

"Grunt to sixth field, four." Darcy called, her piece moving accordingly.

Laufey  nodded, leaning back into his throne, "Accepted. Grunt takes Grunt."

Laufey's Grunt moved, violently killing Darcy's Grunt. The girl flinched at the shower of ice that hit next to her.

"Just give me a moment to recall the names of the pieces. Sorcerer to third field, four." Darcy called out, unnerved at the casually violent ice sculptures.

"Rather aggressive move for such a tiny thing. General to eighth field, four. King is threatened."

"I think you have the monopoly on aggressiveness, your royal Hugeness." Darcy snarked before looking back at the field.  "Generals are the most versatile piece, right? We call that piece the Queen.  King to sixth field, one."

"Queen? Heh, that isn't a bad title for the piece. Queens are supposed to be versatile. Makes them ruthless and pragmatic. Grunt to second field, five. What do the Midgardians call their pieces?"

_Am I really having a normal conversation with King Laufey?_ "We call the Sorcerer's Bishop. Speaking of which, Sorcerer takes pawn. Or Grunt. Yeah, still getting the pieces names."

"Pawn? What a belittling title to give Grunts. I approve.  Assassin to sixth field, six."

"That piece's name throws me off. Assassin? We call them knights. As in- Knight to sixth field, three." The piece didn't move.

"Okay, gotcha. Assassin to sixth field, three." There it went.

"That doesn't sound appropriate at all. That piece is under-handed and can move through enemy line. General to eighth field, six."

"Grunt to fourth field, three. The castle thingies are called rooks."

"Ah. Assassin to eighth field, five. Think carefully, bug."

On the game played, the light banter doing nothing for Darcy's nerves and dropping body temperature. The cold made focusing harder for Darcy.

_I can't take my time. I'll either screw up the game or freeze up._ Darcy thought with dismay. Laufey was probably aware of this and was using it to his advantage. Checking the board, Darcy made a quick calculation before calling her move.

 "Assassin to eighth field, four."

" General to seventh field, five. So, do you plan to give up the Sorcerer at the second field, at the five position or the Assassin at eighth field at the four position?" the King asked, face resting in clawed hand. He would have looked bored if it was for the excited look in frightfully red eyes. He almost looked like he was having fun.

"Neither." Darcy chattered, tightening her coat around her.  "Assassin to sixth field, five."

"Grunt to third field, six. You left that Sorcerer out to attacks."

Scratch that, Darcy was certain he was having fun.

"You did the same with your Assassin." Darcy pointed out before replying, "Grunt to seventh field, four." _Great to know the King of the Frost Giants finds me funny._

 "Assassin to sixth field, six."

"Hmm. Castle to seventh field, one."

"Hah! Grunt takes your Sorcerer."

Darcy grimaced as the piece was viciously turned to slush. "Yeah, I see that."

"Should have kept a better eye on that, bug." Laufey  stated, not in boasting but rather as though he was admonishing her as a mentor did to a student.

"Grunt to eighth field, four." Darcy called, the piece moving as she stared momentarily at her opponent.

Laufey  looked relaxed, yet there was a much focused look in his eyes, as though he was coming up with a hundred different strategies and scenarios and which to best implement.

It reminded her of Loki so much that her heart clenched.

It almost made her miss what Laufey  said, forcing her to refocus on the game.

"General to seventh field, six."

" Grunt to eighth field, five."

"General to seventh field, five.".

"General to sixth field, three."

"Oh, nicely done. Almost trapped my General. Assassin to seventh field, eight."

" Sorcerer takes Pawn- err, Grunt, threatens General." Darcy grinned, yet winced in the deep boned chilliness that was quickly settling in, her lungs burning.

Laufey sat up, no longer trying to pretend this was boring him. "General to sixth field, six."

Darcy looked nonplussed at the board. "Assassin to third field, three. Um, dude, you've given the General a work out. Why developed nothing but your General?"

"The General is in the most versatile piece. I thought we have discussed this."

"Yeah, but you've most hardly moved anything else."

Laufey  didn't look too concerned. "Perhaps, but I'm not down one Sorcerer. Speaking of sorcerers. Sorcerer to third field, five."

Darcy stared at the pieces. He was controlling the board.

This wasn't working. The stories of Jotun treachery and deceitful ways were quickly proving to either be very wrong or over exaggerated, or they just didn't apply to Chaturanga. King Laufey wasn't cheating, nor was he using magic that she could tell.

She needed to rethink her opponent.

_Come on, think like Loki._ She told herself.

What is the opponent like?

One, Laufey was cautious yet curious. Darcy couldn't of another reason why he would agree to this. Well, she could but those didn't bare thinking.

Two, while proud, she couldn't call him arrogant. He had been treating this as a lesson game rather then a game against a weaker opponent.

Three, he was cynical and smart. The way he had been playing the game proved that.

True, he moved the General around all over the place. But nothing in his moves had been wasted, all thoroughly thought through. The board at the moment was not favoring her, and she could already foresee several ways he could win.

It told her several things. Firstly, Laufey was taking her seriously (at least to a degree), something even Lord Weird-Beard didn't do. Second, unlike Lord Weird-Beard who needed magic to win and only really played against yahoos from Nornheim, Laufey  was playing as someone who had a life time of war and hardship. She had already known he was intelligent (one had to be to still be ruling a place like Jutonheim after so many centuries), but this…

If he displayed this kind of strategy on an actual battle field, then she could see why it took the Asgardians so long to beat them back.

In war, he was both the King and General.

And he was playing war with her.

"Your move, bug."

"Give me a moment." Darcy said, mind whirling for a strategy. She didn't need conventional; she needed something that the old warrior before her didn't see coming. And she had to do it quickly, for Loki, the pets and her own health.

 

* * *

 

 

Loki glared at the rune on the entrance, his fingers stinging from the shock he got for tampering with it. That was by far the worst shock he had received from the accursed thing. He was just lucky his gloves absorbed most of the shock.

There were two runes, one on the entrance and the other on the dungeon floor, in a cell designed especially for magic users. He had no access to his magic.

The one on the floor was a suppressant while the one on the door acted as a barrier, one to keep him in and the other to restrain his magic. The rune he was meddling with was extensive, and would take him years to break. Years he didn't have.

If Fenrir was any indication, he didn't even have an hour. The dog was curled next to him, whimpering in the cold. Jörmungandr looked concerned for his friend, wrapping himself around Fenrir in comfort. The dog barely acknowledged his friend.

If the cold was affecting Fenrir, what was Darcy experiencing?

It was bad enough his best friend was playing a high risk game against Laufey of all people, but with the thought that she was also freezing to death on top of that caused the prince to keep tampering with a rune that was shocking him for every attempt he made on it, each shock more painful then before.

Staring back at the rune, Loki groaned. He didn't have time to unweave it, and it could prove fatal to break it, so where did that leave him?

A snake-ish bark caused him to look back at his friends. Fenrir whining at the cold and Jörmungandr looked equally concerned, then the snake started gnawing on the floor rune as though it was some kind of juicy bone.

Before Loki could say anything, Jörmungandr proceeded to swallow the rune whole, along with a chunk of the floor.

Loki held his breath, praying his friend didn't suffer any dire consequences. A moment passed and a ripple of magic swarmed over him, before leaving just as fast.

At first the serpent stilled, then hacked up a chunk of the rune, magic simpering over them like a gentle mist before evaporating. The serpent looked no worse for wear, tongue lagging out.

Having been bundled up and all skin covered at Darcy's insistence, Loki wasn't aware that he had turned blue upon the magic touching him, emerald green eyes turning the color of blood. He stared at his friend in thought, even as the serpent and dog looked at him funny.

If he could get his friend to eat the rune on the door…

Remembering the lunch they had packed, Loki search through his pockets, finding a bag and tore it. Yes! There was a hot dog in there.

Jörmungandr must have smelled it, because the racially confused snake slithered up to him, tongue wagging as it made a noise that almost sounded like a bark.

Loki waved the hot dog, Jörmungandr flopping around much like a dog waiting for a treat.

Loki threw it on the rune, quickly getting out of the way as the Infinite Serpent rushed for the snack.

The prince watched as the hot dog and the runic door were both devoured.

Holding his breath, Loki watched for any adverse effect the rune might have on Jörmungandr.

The great serpent looked uncomfortable, squirming around. Then quiet suddenly, he hacked up a ball of lightning at the wall. Magic washed over them from the impacted giving a tingling sensation.

After several minutes, Jörmungandr proved fine.

Loki tested his magic, finding he had access to it once more while his blue flesh and red eyes returned to its Aesir appearance.

He never would know of the changes that had occurred in the cell.

"Come, Darcy needs us."

 

* * *

 

 

Laufey would be the first to tell you that should you find yourself in the line of succession you should bail out as soon as possible, and that anyone who willingly tried to become a sovereign was obviously utterly mad or very young.

Most of his days were spent listening to nobles whine about this or that, while dealing with more domesticated thing and compromising with -or occasionally outright beating- the masses over the ever dwindling resources. Essentially, everyone wanted to waste his time and bitch about how things were.

He was a warrior, not a politician. Had he known what being a king was like, he would have never won that blasted Wager.

Honestly, he would go into battle in nothing but his smalls to have someone else take over as ruler.

Truth be told, Laufey was tired.  While he loved the sting of battle and the taste of war, he had been spending most of his reign trapped on his realm keeping the peace among his people while trying to keep the realm from collapsing.

Since the end of the war, Laufey's people had been denied use of the Bifrost. This meant for the last millennia they've been isolated, depended on their own resources to survive.

But the resources dwindled, the populace was getting fed up with his on going balance act of power, and Laufay was loosing patience with his own people.

He was beginning to hate them as much as he hated Odin.

The only thing keeping him from loosing to the next idiot that challenged him for the right to rule was the siren call of vengeance, the ever constant whisper that the chance to get back at his enemy would come.

Vengeance was like an intimate lover at this point, a constant companion since the death of his beloved Fárbauti. The only joy he has had in the last millennia where his sons.

Býleistr and Helblindi were still young, the former having only reached his adolescence recently. Helblindi was a child still, even if he towered over his elder brother.

Fárbauti would often jest that Býleistr had inherited Laufey's brains while Helblindi got his strength. It was the truth.

They were his pride and joy, and he'd make anyone that would try anything with them suffer.

So it had been with great reluctance that he had allowed Býleistr to perform his Rite of Passage. The Rite being he go hunt and make his first kill on his own, to prove his adulthood and that he was ready to handle the responsibilities that came with it.

He had stationed a patrol in the area to act as spies, just in case something went wrong with the Rite. He probably would have felt guilty about that had it not been for the fact that it ended up saving Býleistr's life.

Granted, Býleistr would have been fine had it not been for the Midgardian and that bastard's son.

When the Midgard bug and that one-eyed bastard's spawn had been brought to him, he had been inclined simply to cut their heads off and send them to Odin wrapped in a pretty bow. The royal house of Asgard had nearly cost him another son, so why shouldn't he even the score?

Yet the bug had intrigued him when she declared she wanted to play Chaturanga, but not just any- she called for the King's Wager, staked her bets with the added condition that Odin's spawn be allowed to return home alive and unharmed.

For such a tiny thing, she sure was ballsy.

His flesh still tingled from the magic the mortal child had -most likely unwittingly- unleashed upon calling the ancient venture, it taking hold the second she had explained she was to inherit a ruling position called a 'President'.

And he was more then a little intrigued. When one called for the King's Wager, the magic would only take hold if the person in question could inherit the ruling position they stated. Yet this mortal called for the King's Wager and the magic allowed it. He had used magic to sense for lies (which had proven useless against Odin's spawn, whether because the boy was that good at lying or knew how to counter it, he did not know), yet none came from the Midgard child. It would seem she was in line for rulingposition called a 'President', which was apparently another Midgardian word for 'Ruler'.

The idea the Midgardians having royalty made him want to snicker.

How had she even known about the King's Wager? Had Odin told his son about it, and he told her in return?

No, Odin wouldn't have told. The man would sooner loose his other eye before admitting he lost against Laufey in anything.

So he agreed, betting the same thing he betted in every game he played –his title and position- and they moved to the Court room to play.

His sons were there, standing attention at the throne. Býleistr kept giving the girl nasty looks, while Helblindi looked like he wanted to play with the tiny mortal bug.

The nobility looked at her, some snorting at the idea of a mortal having the gall to make such a wager, others were indifferent and yet others still cooed at the mortal (granted, she was the size of a toddler and looked very delicate). But all of them looked very much like this would be the highlight of the century. It probably would.

The idea of letting her win just so he could see the nobilities horrified reaction nearly caused him to break into a fit of cackling laughter. He'd almost do it, just to spite them all just as they have spited him.

Still, she was just a mortal. A sassy little mortal that he suspected either held no fear within her or lacked survival instincts, but a mortal nonetheless.

And yet, when had he played a high stake game? Centuries, at the very least. Nobody wanted to play against him in high stake games.

Granted, he did play a non-high stake Chaturanga with his sons often, but there was nothing like playing against a new person. Especially if they actually had the intelligence to keep up with him.

The Midgard bug was playing brilliantly, and had very little trouble keeping up. A point in her favor.

Too bad about her rather deep loyalty to Odin's son. It was probably wasted on the brat.

After several minutes, the bug made her move, sending her Assassin to the fourth field, to the five placement.

Laufey countered this move by having the General take the Grunt at the second field, at the two placement.

She moved her Sorcerer to the fourth field, six spot.

His General took her Castle. What was the bug doing?

The Midgard hummed, staring intently at the board. Finally she called out, "King to fifth field, two."

All right, she had his interest.  "Sorcerer takes your last Castle."

"Grunt to fifth field, five." Darcy called, squirming in the seat as though she hoped to cause some friction for warmth.

Laufey  stared at her, unimpressed. "My army is bearing down on your King, and you're moving a Grunt? Have you've given up already?"

Darcy shot him a raspberry before quickly pulling her tongue back muttering about cold air.

Laufey  rolled his eyes. Juvenile mortal.

"Assassin to first field, six." He said as he wondered,

_What are you playing at, little bug?_

 

* * *

 

 

Loki had used invisibility to hide himself, the pets already gone to who knows where. He hoped his little idiots didn't do anything dim like get caught again.

He would have been lost had he not over heard a guard talk to a servant, saying that Darcy was in the Court room. After following the servant a bit, Loki found the Court room, a grand if debilitated room full of Jutons.

He worried someone would sense him, but everyone's attention seemed captured to the massive board on the floor.

With as much stealth as he possessed he snuck to the side, closest to Darcy yet not so close that the King or anyone else might be drawn towards him.

Darcy looked cold. She was pale, lips an unhealthy shade of purple, her nose runny, a shiver racking her body every other minute. Yet he could see the determination in her eyes, and a focus she often possessed when facing a problem she was bent on solving.

The board looked similar to a chess board, the pieces moving accordingly to there players commands. 

He wished he could grab her and run, flee back to the passage and lock her up in a safe place only he could access where she would never get into dangerous position like dueling fire giants, go to war or play suicidal chess against Juton Kings.

Yet he knew Darcy to be smart, and chances were she had wrangled out a promise that would lead them to safety. She just had to win it.

He wished he was more powerful, had a spell that would ensnare the King into loosing and that would assure Darcy’s safety and health. Yet he dared not try anything, at least right at that moment. Should she loose, Loki would do everything in his power to get her out, but they would need the advantage of surprise.

All Loki could do was watch, silently praying to whatever god that listened for her to arise victories from this.

Because if she didn’t, if she died here…

Jutonheim would _burn_.

 

* * *

 

 

She had officially lost all feeling to her toes, fingers, nose and heinie but she had a strategy.

_Please, don't let him see this,_ she mentally prayed. Taking a calming breath, Darcy called out her move.

 "Assassin takes Grunt at seventh field, seven spot. King is threatened."

"Nice try.  King to fourth field, eight."

 "General to sixth field, six. King is threatened."

 "And now my Assassin takes your General." Laufey  scoffed staring at her in derision.

It took everything to keep the grin off Darcy's face.

The Frost Giant snorted, looking disappointed. "Honestly, what are you doing? You've got no Castles. You're down to a single Sorcerer. Too bad you wasted time moving that Grunt to... to..."

Suddenly Laufey understood the importance of the Grunt.

She made her General become a decoy to remove his Assassin from its duties protecting the fifth field, seven square, with the Grunt effectively shutting out the his General from getting back to defend the King. Freeing her Sorcerer…

"Sorcerer to fifth field, seven. The King is dethroned. Or, as we Midgardians say, Checkmate."  Darcy breath, the frigid air hurting to breath. The giant king stared at the board, face neutral.

Then he looked at her, bloody red eyes staring into blue ones. It continued for several minutes, at which point Darcy remembered that they were not alone.

The room was deathly quiet, yet she refused to look away to see their reactions.

Darcy began to quietly panic as the silence dragged on. Laufey was still staring at her in an increasingly alarming manner.

_God, Jesus, Buddha, Mighty Queen Frigga, please don't be a sore loser. Please don't go back on your word, please, please, please don't hurt Loki_. Darcy mentally prayed, her nerves frying under the deafening silence of the room and the soul penetrating stare.

Then the giant king did something unexpected.

He grinned.

Darcy jerked back as though he had made a lunged for her, off-kilter by the sudden and frightening show of friendly smile (as friendly as a row of very sharp teeth could get).

The king's face- so far consisting of smirks or scowls - looked younger and possessed a smile that was familiar, yet she couldn't place why.

"Well, I'll be damned." The giant chuckled, standing from his seat. "Even Odin hadn't won one of those."

His grin took a nasty turn. "That one-eyed bastard would shite himself with rage at knowing you achieved what he never did. Well, better you then him!"

The entire room was buzzing, and when Darcy finally looked at the nobles, it was to a group that was equal parts shocked, bewildered, horrified and amused. The ones not openly gaping at her were whispering among themselves, eyeing her.

_I feel like there has been a misunderstanding somewhere._ Darcy wanted to ask more, have a better explanation, but she had gone numb in places she hadn't known could go numb and took it for the bodily warning that she was about to drop over. She needed to get Loki and leave. Now.

 

"I won." Darcy stated as she tried to stand tall without shaking, "Will you honor your words? Will you let my friend go in peace?"

Laufey looked at the tiny girl as though he was insulted she would even ask such a thing.

"Contrary to popular believe, I do honor my oaths. The boy and your Highness shall be returned to the place we found you, before you freeze to death. Don't think I can't see you about to fall over with frostbite. Somebody get her a cloak."

Darcy didn't bother to hide the next shiver that racked through her, wondering why he had called her a boy.

Laufey still grinning like he had been personally handed Odin's head on a stick, turned to the short Jotun that Darcy and Loki had met while fleeing the monster. Darcy didn't even try to pretend she wasn't listening.

The Juton boy looked at the king as though he had personally witnessed a great tragedy.

"Father, how could you loose?"

Laufey had a son? Holy crap, did Loki and she endanger the King's son? Craaaap.

"It was a fair game. She didn't cheat. You were checking, as was the entire court. I knew what I was betting."

"But she's mortal-"

"Precisely. She'll be dead before the century is over. What can one little mortal do in a mere century? Besides, weren't you and Helblindi telling me that I should take a rest from the court? This will be like a holiday."

"But father-"

"Besides, they've been complaining about my methods for centuries. Why not let them experience a change in leadership for a bit? Either it will go smoothly or they'll try to kill her for the throne. Either way is fine by me."

“Well, it's not fine by me! You’ve been the king for my entire life, and to see you just throw it away-”

"Býleistr. What's done is done."

"…You lost on purpose, didn't you?" the boy, Býleistr sounded mutinous, refusing to look at his father.

"Shockingly, no."

The young Jotun didn't look convinced. Darcy thought he looked rather like someone had forced him to eat something our as he turned away, glaring at a crack in the wall.

Suddenly a heavy cloak fell on her shoulders. Looking up, she saw the other Jotun child that had stood by the throne kneeling next to her, having placed a cloak around her.

_I am really out of it if he somehow snuck up on me._ Darcy thought tiredly. She was so cold, though the cloak was warm. She decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and wrapped herself in the heavy material, surprised as it was radiating heat.

The Jotun sat next to her had a surprisingly friend look to him. Despite his size, he looked so young, like the human equivalent to ten. He smiled at her, though it should have looked threatening with sharp teeth, he merely looked adorable.

Then he picked her up and sat her in his lap, like she was a dolly he could play with. Before she could react though, he was talking.

"Congratulations. We've never had a Midgard ruler before." He said happily, his voice so child like.

Darcy felt thrown off again when his words registered. Ruler? What did he mean by 'ruler'?

"This is really fantastic! Now Father will spend more time with Býleistr and I! Thank you for winning! We've had a few Aesir in the past -I learned that from my mentor- and even this one Storm Giant, but you're the first Midgardian! This'll be so exciting! I'm Helblindi, by the way. I've decided I'm going to be your brother." The chubby boy practically gushed at her, hugging her gently.

Before Darcy could inquire what he was talking about, Laufey was making an announcement.

And he sounded a tad bit too maliciously gleeful for it to be a good announcement.

"You've witnessed an end to a reign and the rebirth of a new one! As per the Wager's agreement I, Laufey has relinquished the title as King-" _What,_ Darcy thought before Laufey voice derailed further thoughts, "-and place as ruler of the Realm. Allow me to present Darcy Lewis, first of her Name, first of her Race, Queen of Jotunheim! "

If there was cheering, Darcy didn't hear it over the pounding in her ears.

It was probably a good thing Helblindi had been there, because with the combined lost of body heat and stress on top of the fact she had apparently just accidentally gambled her way to royalty, Darcy lost consciousness.

 

* * *

 

 Loki very nearly dropped his invisibility, he was so shocked. 

Darcy somehow convinced Laufey –the ancient enemy of his father and the villain of many a childhood story told to Thor and him– to bet his kingship. 

And she _won_.

In one game, Darcy had elevated herself to the same peerage as the monarchs of the other Realms.

Darcy was a _queen_. 

It was the panicked cry of the smaller Juton that held her that snapped him out of his shock. She appeared to have gone limp, and for a moment Loki thought she wasn’t breathing.

Not caring of the consequences, Loki dropped his invisibility and ran forward.

What followed was him having to explain that yes he escaped, he would resist if they tried to lock him back up, and that the Jutons had no concept of Midgard physiology and that he was the best suited to aiding her.

He was rather shocked by the amount of hostile protectiveness the Jutons were showing towards Darcy. He would have thought they’d try to get rid of her quickly.

It was Laufey shockingly enough that got them to let him look at her, making him wonder at his motive.

It took awhile, but Darcy no longer looked, as she would say ‘Death warmed over’. 

What followed were Loki and Laufey cracking out an agreement that that Loki would get her return her to Midgard, bring her back to health and then take her back for her coronation in three weeks time.

When the Asgardians hammered out agreements, it was just assumed the other party would do the honorable thing and keep there word, using magic only on the most sensitive of deals. Jutons apparently believed that all agreements were to be binded by magic, regardless of how trivial it was. Hence why Loki, urged on by Darcy’s ailing health, carefully agreed once he was positive he hadn’t agreed to anything he would regret.

Once an agreement was established, the rest of the trip pasted in a blur, Loki focused on Darcy’s health and his finally returned pets, as well as the necessity of going back home. He’d think on his friend’s unexpected promotion later.

The only incident he had was getting the Juton child –Helblindi– to let Darcy go. He had to explain that she was sick and needed to go home but they had promised she would return, though Loki was courteous enough not to say because he had no choice on them returning.

 It was eerie to think the Jutons had children. He knew they did, all races did, but it was not something he quite equated when thinking of the Jutons.

The trip back was quiet, and he was glad when the Jutons left him close to the passage.

Loki, holding Darcy closely, made his way through the passage, wondering how he was going to explain this to his family once they found out.

 

* * *

 

 

Heimdall watch his queen, keeping an eye on the returning prince and newly made sovereign. He had told his queen what had just transpired, ending with the good news that the children were now safe.

 Queen Frigga was twitching. Whether in shock or humor, the sentinel did not know.

 Finally she spoke. “I need a drink.”

 That momentarily brought all of Heimdall’s attention to her.

 Frigga looked uncharacteristically flustered, running a hand through her hair.

 “Never in my wildest dreams- not even in the most unlikely vision -” she stopped herself, taking a deep breath and resumed control of herself.

 “Well, that was…unexpected.”

Heimdall hummed, a silent agreement.

She was going to sit both Darcy and Loki down and have them come clean with their adventures. While she knew most of them, she was now in the position of being on name terms with a monarch of one of the most dangerous realms in Yggdrasil.

Darcy was going to need all the help she could get because the child had in one fell swoop went from Grunt to King.

 And if she knew Loki as well as she thought she did, her son was going to make himself Darcy’s General. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re confused, the story basis is based off of the amazing work “There’s a God under my Bed” by the phenomenal Q_it who allowed me to make a fanfiction off her own fanfiction. Go read it if you love Loki/Darcy, fluff, slow burning romance, political intrigue, child Loki and Darcy, and racially confused pets.
> 
> I hope you’ve found it good, because I’ve never done this before, so criticism is welcome. Flames and out right nasty comments are not.  
> Hopefully people enjoyed this.
> 
> Some side notes to stall off certain questions:
> 
> •How did Darcy get away with the King’s Wager if it could only be employed by nobility/royalty?
> 
> The reason Darcy got away with calling the King's Wager was because the ruling position she claimed to be inheriting is the President position. While most monarchy is hereditary, just about anyone can be president; ergo anyone can 'inherit' the position of president. So she wasn’t technically lying, seeing how at the present time Darcy believes she’ll be President one day.
> 
> •What is Chaturanga? Is it a real game?
> 
> The answer is yes; Chaturanga is a real game and is what chess originated from. Unfortunately I don’t know the actual rules for Chaturanga, because certain pieces are in different places on the board and the names of the pieces are vastly different from the story names of those pieces, as well as having different types of rules. So I took liberties and made it chess with a different name.
> 
> And if your chess player, the game they played was based entirely after the Immortal Game, a famous chess game played by Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky on 21 June 1851.
> 
> •Who are Býleistr and Helblindi? Are they OC's?
> 
> Býleistr and Helblindi are, by Norse mythology, Loki’s brothers. Since I’m operating under the assumption that Loki’s the eldest, Býleistr and Helblindi are a little younger then him, hence why they are kids too. That and I wanted to write an adorable Juton child.
> 
> •Why did Laufey just let Darcy have the throne?
> 
> In the story, the Throne of Jutonheim is unique compared to the other realms. To be king, you must win it in the King’s Wager, a fact many have forgotten since the War. Laufey won it in his youth and has regretted it ever since. He rules a bitter and warring nation, and his realm is slowly dying.
> 
> What he needs is a vacation, and he is looking at Darcy as just that. He figures that since she’ll be dead in a century (if that), he can take a nice little vacation with his sons before coming back to ruling. Because honestly, what’s a century to a being that can live several thousand years? And what could a mortal possibly do in a century, surrounded by the viper pit that is nobility?
> 
> I hope that explained some stuff.
> 
> Again, huge thanks to Q_it for inspiring this story. I hope they like it and get a few chuckles out of this.
> 
> Signing off,
> 
> Sagoberattare


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